Slamming the state government, the BJP had said the child’s death is shameful. “When will Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra suggest Mr. Ashok Gehlot to ensure justice for Dalits in Rajasthan,” the state BJP had tweeted.
Jaipur: A 9-year-old Dalit boy’s death in Rajasthan after his teacher allegedly assaulted him for drinking water from a pot meant for “upper castes” threatens to turn into a political crisis for the ruling Congress.
Besides outrage from the Opposition Bhartiya Janata Party, the Ashok Gehlot government is also facing the heat from within its ranks.
Slamming the state government, the BJP had said the child’s death is shameful. “When will Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra suggest Mr. Ashok Gehlot to ensure justice for Dalits in Rajasthan,” the state BJP had tweeted.
Panachand Meghwal, Congress MLA from Baran-Atru, has sent his resignation to CM Ashok Gehlot, saying he is deeply hurt by the death of the nine-year-old student.
Former Rajasthan DCM Sachin Pilot is on the way to Jalore district to meet the boy’s family. “We have to put an end to incidents like Jalore. We have to assure the people of Dalit society that we stand with them,” Mr. Pilot said. “The government is taking appropriate action and will do so in the future as well. We should politicize an issue like this,” he added.
Mr. Ashok Gehlot has now rushed senior cabinet ministers and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra to Jalore.
Nine-year-old Indra had suffered injuries on his eye and ear after his teacher allegedly thrashed him for drinking water from a pot those from upper castes used.
Following the July 20 incident at a private school, he was taken to a hospital in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. where he died last week.
The state Police have arrested the teacher and charged him with murder and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The FIR lodged in the case says Indra was “naive and did not know that the pot had been kept aside for the teacher from the upper caste”. “Teacher Chail Singh told the boy, ‘You are from a lower caste. How dare you drink water from my pot!’. He then thrashed him,” the FIR reads.
While interacting with the media, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said he has instructed officials to ensure a swift probe into the case.
“Justice will be ensured to the victim’s family at the earliest,” Mr. Gehlot said, announcing assistance of ₹ 5 lakh.
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